HERO repealers try their luck with the Supreme Court

Opponents of Houston’s equal rights ordinance have asked the Texas Supreme Court to force the city secretary to certify the signatures on a petition they submitted seeking to trigger a repeal referendum on the law.

Houston’s 14th Court of Appeals denied a similar request on Aug. 15, ruling that the emergency writ of mandamus would have the same result as a favorable ruling in the pending lawsuit opponents filed against the city earlier this month. The plaintiffs, the judges wrote, could appeal after a ruling comes down at the trial court level.

Trial in that case is set for Jan. 19.

The new filing with the Supreme Court, turned in late Tuesday, is similar to the group of conservative pastors and activists’ previous requests. It seeks to have the court force the city to suspend enforcement of the ordinance, to put the ordinance to another vote of the City Council and, if the council does not repeal it, to put the issue before voters.

Mayor Annise Parker already has agreed to suspend enforcement until a legal ruling is issued. Officials have said the deadline for placing items on the November ballot was Aug. 18, meaning a favorable ruling for opponents would appear to result in a vote in either May or November of 2015.

City Attorney David Feldman pointing to the appellate court’s denial of the similar mandamus filing, said opponents will face the same legal hurdles in going to the Supreme Court.

“It doesn’t change because the venue changes,” he said. “The law is still the same.”

Plaintiff Jared Woodfill said his side simply disagrees with the appellate court’s ruling and is hopeful the Supreme Court justices will see things differently.

See here, here, and here for the background. Remember, Woodfill et al are suing to get their referendum on the ballot. The writ of mandamus they have filed with the Supreme Court asks that the referendum be put on the ballot. You may wonder, as did Judge Shaffer and the 14th Circuit Court of Appeals, what the point of the lawsuit is if the mandamus gives them what they’re suing for. But like me, you probably don’t have the brilliant legal mind of Jared Woodfill. It doesn’t cost them anything but Andy Taylor’s exorbitant legal fees to ask, so what the hell. Texpatriate has more.